Personal care composition

Abstract

A personal care composition that includes an acyl taurate surfactant and exhibits improved foaming and lathering in hard water. The surfactant system in the personal care composition also includes an N-alkyl acyl taurate surfactant and/or an amphoteric co-surfactant. The weight ratio of acyl taurate to N-alkyl acyl taurate and/or co-surfactant is tailored to provide the desired hard water lather benefit. The surfactant system also permits viscosity building with inorganic salt and demonstrates good lather and foaming when a cationic conditioning polymer is added.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aqueous personal care composition, comprising:
 a) a detersive surfactant comprising an acyl taurate surfactant or a combination of an acyl taurate and an N-alkyl acyl taurate surfactant;   b) an amphoteric co-surfactant, wherein a ratio of detersive surfactant to co-surfactant is about 0.5:1 to about 2:1; and   c) water.   
     
     
         2 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition exhibits less than a 55% decrease in lather according to the Lather Robustness Test. 
     
     
         3 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant is selected from alkylamidopropyl betaines, alkyl betaines, amphoacetates and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The personal care composition of  claim 3 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant is selected from cocamidopropyl betaine, lauramidopropyl betaine, coco-betaine, lauryl betaine, cetyl betaine, sodium lauroamphoacetate, sodium cocoamphoacetate, disodium lauroamphodiacetate, disodium cocoamphodiacetate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         6 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an anionic co-surfactant. 
     
     
         7 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a combination of acyl taurate and N-acyl alkyl taurate at a weight ratio of acyl taurate to N-alkyl acyl taurate of about 1:1 to about 50:1. 
     
     
         8 . The personal care composition of  claim 7 , wherein the weight ratio of acyl taurate to N-alkyl acyl taurate is about 2:1 to about 25:1 
     
     
         9 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the acyl taurate surfactant is a C8-C24 acyl taurate surfactant. 
     
     
         10 . The personal care composition of  claim 9 , wherein the C8-C24 acyl taurate surfactant is selected from the group consisting of capric ester taurate surfactants, cocoyl taurate surfactants, lauroyl taurate surfactants, myristoyl taurate surfactants, caproyl taurate surfactants, oleoyl taurate surfactants, capryloyl taurate surfactants, palmitoyl taurate surfactants, stearoyl taurate surfactants, linoleoyl taurate surfactants, salts of these and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the N-alkyl acyl taurate surfactant is selected from methyl substituted acyl taurates, ethyl substituted acyl taurates, propyl substituted acyl taurates, butyl substituted acyl taurates, salts of these and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The personal care composition of  claim 11 , wherein the N-alkyl acyl taurate is selected from the group consisting of methyl capric ester taurate, methyl cocoyl taurate, methyl lauroyl taurate, methyl myristoyl taurate, methyl caproyl taurate, methyl oleoyl taurate, methyl capryloyl taurate, methyl palmitoyl taurate, methyl stearoyl taurate, methyl linoleoyl taurate, salts of these and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional ingredient selected from deposition aids, conditioning agents, anti-dandruff agents, anti-microbial agents, suspending agents, viscosity modifiers, dyes, pigments, nonvolatile solvents, diluents, pearlescent aids, foam boosters, pH adjusting agents, perfumes, preservatives, chelants, proteins, vitamins, amino acids, skin active agents, sunscreens, UV absorbers, stabilizers, and combinations of these. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the composition comprises an anti-dandruff agent selected from the group consisting of azoles, hydroxyl pyridones, zinc pyrithone, zinc carbonate, piroctone olamine, piroctone, sulfur, ciclopirox, rilopirox, MEA-hydroxyoctyloxypyridinone, salicylic acid, azoxystrobin, 1,10-phenanthroline and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is substantially free of sulfated surfactants. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising about 0.05% to about 3% of a cationic polymer that has a weight average molecular weight of about 50 kDa to about 5 MDa and a charge density of about 0.2 meq/g to about 12 meq/g. 
     
     
         17 . A method of cleaning a bodily surface, comprising:
 a) applying water to a target bodily surface where cleaning is desired, wherein the water has a hardness value of more than 3 grains per gram of water according to the Water Hardness method;   b) applying the composition of  claim 1  to the target bodily surface; and   c) rinsing the personal cleansing composition off the bodily surface with the water.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the target bodily surface is hair or skin. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the personal care composition is a shampoo, conditioner or body wash.